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  • Enabulele warns against U.S. military intervention in Nigeria

    Enabulele warns against U.S. military intervention in Nigeria

    Dr. Bright Enabulele, a globally recognised Nigerian economic and policy analyst, has publicly broken his silence regarding controversial statements made by United States (US) President, Donald Trump concerning violence and attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.

    Addressing journalists in Abuja, Enabulele, in a sharply worded response, firmly rejected the notion of foreign military intervention, arguing that the nation requires sustainable “solutions, not war.”

    The policy expert’s statement comes amid renewed debate over Nigeria’s internal security challenges and the appropriate role of the international community.

    Enabulele warned that any proposed military incursion by the US would have devastating long-term consequences far beyond the immediate security situation.

    “What Nigeria needs is a solution, not war,” Enabulele stated forcefully. He stressed that while security is paramount, the path to peace must be internal and diplomatic. “A military invasion, irrespective of how well-intentioned, would only serve to set the country back decades, risking regional destabilization and catastrophic humanitarian fallout.”

    Enabulele also focused heavily on the geopolitical implications for the United States, suggesting that intervention would establish a negative global standard. He concluded that authorizing such a move would “set a wrong and dangerous precedent for America’s engagement with sovereign nations across the world.”

    Highlighting the country’s stature, Enabulele reminded the global community of Nigeria’s economic significance. Nigeria is often cited as the seventh largest economy in the world, and any conflict would disrupt international markets and supply chains. He urged global leaders to shift focus from military options to empowering local governance, supporting economic development, and implementing targeted policy reforms to address the root causes of internal conflict.

    He concluded his remarks by calling for a unified, non-military strategy: “Our priority must be collaborative problem-solving, not the escalation of conflict through foreign boots on the ground. We must address the political and economic drivers of this crisis together.”

    Enabulele maintained that a balanced partnership is what the US should offer. “Nigeria seeks not foreign intervention, but a balanced partnership—one that enhances our capacity to defeat terrorism from within, preserves our sovereignty, and stabilises the wider Sahel.” 

    “Our collective immediate objective should be to strengthen Nigeria–US relations through a mutually beneficial strategic partnership that prioritizes joint intelligence, technology transfer, and capacity-building—while avoiding direct US military intervention that could undermine sovereignty or local legitimacy,” he added.

  • U.S. military to African allies: prepare to stand more on your own

    U.S. military to African allies: prepare to stand more on your own

    The United States (U.S.) military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies, telling its fragile allies in Africa they must be ready to stand more on their own.

    At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: “We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,” General Michael Langley said in an interview.

    “There needs to be some burden sharing,” Langley, the US military’s top official in Africa, said at the weekend, the final day of the exercise.

    For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert.

    Manoeuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasises ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China.

    Messaging about the interwoven work of defence, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington’s security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump’s Defence Department.

    “We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we’re also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,” he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan.

    The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to “build a leaner, more lethal force,” including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America’s rivals continue to deepen their influence.

    China has launched its own expansive training programme for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa.

    In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasised what U.S. military officials have long called a “whole of government approach” to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn’t stabilise weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out.

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    “I’ve always professed that AFRICOM is just not a military organisation,” Langley said last year. He called good governance an “enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent re of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development and defence had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border.

    But such successes aren’t a pattern. “I’ve seen progression and I’ve seen regression,” said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year.

    The U.S. military’s new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand.

    “We see Africa as the epicentre for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,” a senior U.S. defence official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to discuss the issue publicly.

    Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon’s list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent.

    In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said.

    The messaging shift from “whole of government” to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power.

    Parts of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicentres of violence.

    In 2024, more than half of the world’s terrorism victims were killed across West Africa’s Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for six per cent of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel.

    Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia’s army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged.